The Lost Sheep

Jesus loved to teach with little stories called parables. One day he told this one.

Imagine a shepherd who has a hundred sheep. He loves them all and counts them carefully. One evening he counts: ninety-seven… ninety-eight… ninety-nine…

One is missing.

Somewhere out in the hills, a single little sheep has wandered off and gotten lost. It’s growing dark, and the lost sheep is frightened and alone.

Now, the shepherd could say, “Well, I still have ninety-nine. That’s plenty.” But he doesn’t. He leaves the ninety-nine safely together and goes out into the night to search for the one that is lost.

He climbs the rocky hills. He looks behind bushes and down in the valleys. He calls and calls. He doesn’t stop searching until — at last! — he hears a small, tired baa.

There it is, tangled and trembling. The shepherd is overjoyed. He doesn’t scold the little sheep. He lifts it up, lays it gently across his shoulders, and carries it all the way home.

And when he gets home, he calls to his friends: “Rejoice with me — I have found my lost sheep!”

Then Jesus explained what the story really meant: in the same way, all of heaven celebrates when even one person who has wandered away comes home to God.

You matter that much. If you ever feel lost or far away, remember — the Good Shepherd is already out looking for you, and he will carry you home with joy.